AFTER WORKING FOR IBM FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS, CORY HINTON WAS LAID EARLIER OFF THIS MONTH.BUT HE SAYS, HINTON SAYS FIRINGS OF THIS SORT ARE ALWAYS POSSIBLE. CORY HINTON IBM EMPLOYEE it's not our first rodeo. We've been through this before. Yea you're sad for a little bit, but then you go put on your big boy pants and go find a job. IBM HAS NOT RELEASED AN OFFICIAL NUMBER OF LAYOFFS. MORE THAN 200 RECENTLY LET- GO IBM WORKERS CAME OUT TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND LEARN ABOUT THE STATES' UNEMPLOYMENT SERVICES. THE WORKSHOPS BEGAN WITH PRESENTATIONS ON PROGRAMS AVAILABLE, FOLLOWED BY ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH CAREER SERVICE EXPERTS. VERMONT LABOR COMMISSIONER ANNIE NOONAN SAYS BECAUSE IBM EMPLOYEES ARE HGHLY SKILLED, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE FINDING NEW JOBS IN THE STATE. ANNIE NOONAN OF VERMONT DEPT. OF LABOR if IBM employees need reskilling to get into other careers, there are resources available to help them and that there are jobs for these employees and for other employees. ALISON CAREY DESPITE THE LABOR DEPARTMENT'S POSITIVE MESSAGE, MANY DISLOCATED WORKERS FIND THEIR SITUATION TOUGH TO SWALLOW. MOST DID NOT WANT TO APPEAR ON CAMERA AND SOME HAVE NOT EVEN TOLD THEIR FAMILIES YET. HOWEVER, THEY ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE LABOR DEPARTMENTS SUPPORT. CORY HINTON IBM EMPLOYEE there are a lot of people out there that are worse off than us. We're capable of finding another job somewhere. AND TO HELP THEM GET THAT JOB, NOONAN HAS SOME ADVICE. ANNIE NOONAN OF VERMONT DEPT. OF LABOR the best thing they can do is project that positive attitude to other employers and just believe in themselves. NEW AT 11 -- A NORTH COUNTRY CRASH SENDS